the worthy blood of saints and sinners
by Thai Tea Addict
Summary: Heero's coven resettles in the small town of Lagrange, and there he meets Duo Maxwell - the local pariah who doesn't seem to care that the newcomers have several strange quirks. Vampire AU, BL
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer** : I do not own Gundam Wing.

 **Pairings** : 1x2, 3x4, 13xUne (kinda)

 **Warnings** : Vampire AU, DGAFSexWorker!Duo, profanity, occasional derogatory terms used for sex workers (via tone and characters)

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

* * *

"We tried to do everything right,

now we were forced to do everything wrong

and it was working."

 _―Augusten Burroughs_

* * *

Their move to the small town of Lagrange was no different from any other time; they used a moving company owned by Treize's friend to bring all of the furniture and mementos that any other family would bring, overseen by Rashid during the day until it was safe for them to arrive at night. Their group is small in number, made stranger still by the fact that they do not share blood in a strictly biological sense, and yet they would defend each other with such zealous loyalty that they were never outright questioned.

Treize had bred them strong. Pulled from both the royal courts and the shipyards alike, he has always been careful to choose only the ones he felt were strong enough to live for so long. Eternity, Heero had learned, could destroy one's sanity far easier than any outside force.

"It's pretty here," Quatre observed. Polite, sweet Quatre was like a shining ray of light in their home; between Heero's aloof presence, Trowa's stoic demeanor, and Wufei's vaguely contemptuous glares, Quatre was a breath of fresh air and consistent reminder that life should hold more smiles than frowns.

"You say that about every town," Une pointed out. She played the 'wife' to Treize's 'husband', the 'mother' to their roles as 'children' - they did not feel like family in that sense but Heero could admit that he would still fight tooth and nail to make sure none dared hurt her.

"I like to think it's because I always choose lovely places to stay," Treize remarked. He was sitting in his favorite armchair, sipping at a glass of red liquid but not sparing a glance away from his book.

Wufei made a scoffing noise, returning back upstairs without a sound. Although the last to be Turned in their small circle, the Chinese boy remained viscerally cool in their presence despite spending close to fifty years with them.

Trowa didn't once deviate from his self-appointed task of putting away the kitchen supplies. Heero would normally help him, out of simple boredom more than anything else, but he'd drawn the short straw this time and had to drive here from their last dwelling. Heero wanted to stretch his legs while there was still time.

He left them without explanation, although they would all understand - it wasn't like they were any different. (When it came down to it, they were all depressingly the same.) So Heero took a moment walk down the cobbled road that made up their driveway, turning only to take the dirt path that treaded deeper into the surrounding woods rather than the cement of the common roadway.

He walked sedately for awhile, then ran with a speed no human eye could credibly keep up with, then took to the treetops jump by jump. He entertained the thought of hunting but decided to save that for another night; he'd fed on their supply only last night and was in no rush to eat again.

Car exhaust filtered into the air, blaring music muffled only by distance and assaulting Heero's senses as he slowed down. He dropped from the top height, resuming his more human tread as he drew closer to the source.

A black Corolla was parked amidst the dirt and fallen leaves, parking brake engaged and windows half rolled down on all sides. The music was a jarring rock beat popular back when Heero had tasted more drugs in a person's veins than blood, although it did a good job of hiding the grunts and wet, smacking sounds from inside.

Heero was about to leave but the song had reached its guitar solo and that was his favorite part. So instead he loitered just a bit longer, long enough for the car's occupants to finish with a moan too deep to belong to any woman.

Homosexuality wasn't unusual to Heero. It had been normal before it became abnormal in the endless cycle that was human society, and Heero had long grown accustomed to it far before it had started its trudge back to normalcy.

The car door opened as the song finally ended, admitting a heavy-set man into view. (Heero was privately amazed the man could manage to have sex in such a compact vehicle.) The man stretched, glancing about to make sure no one was around, and then pulled his wallet from the back of his jeans.

Prostitution, too, was not unusual to Heero.

The boy - no, maybe man, his features looked young but his smile too jaded to be anything but an adult's - emerged from the car as well. A long braid of auburn hair was reflexively swiped over his shoulder, bangs framing violet eyes that looked more amused than haunted. Heero didn't think he'd ever seen such a happy hooker before.

The older man handed over a handful of bills, stalled a bit as if he thought he should say something, before finally just turning and walking away. The younger man had counted the money, then shoved it into his glove compartment - most likely because his pants were so sinfully tight, there really wasn't any room to put it.

Heero thought to leave then. But he'd stretched his legs enough now, and the other male was very attractive; it didn't hurt, Heero thought, to spend a little more time reminiscing about the times he had spent playing around in the Red Light District, no matter how much it had changed. A car out in the middle of the woods was likely the best this town could do for a brothel.

Heero made sure his steps were clear and audible as he approached. Only predators moved without sound, and some humans had an interesting way of listening to their instincts. The braided man stiffened, Heero could practically hear the muscles tense, but he relaxed once Heero entered his field of sight.

"Hey," the violet-eyed male greeted. His grin was friendly, his mannerisms more open and lacking the shark-like quality Heero had learned to associate with the rent boys he'd glimpsed in the past. Maybe it was a small town-custom, an attitude borne from interacting with such boring clientele.

Heero stared at him calmly. "I like your music," he decided on. He could delve into small talk when he wanted, despite Quatre's lamentations and Une's blatant disbelief. Still, Heero didn't think he really needed to put much effort into changing his facial expression - an intense stare was the best the braided sex worker could hope for, take it or leave it.

It was startling, then, to hear such clear, light laughter.

"Then you, buddy," the braided man said. "Have really shitty taste in music."

* * *

Duo Maxwell's prices were consistent, a surprise given that by all accounts - he was the only sex worker in Lagrange. He was well-known in the town and vocally denounced when brought up, but there was strong flavor of hypocrisy in the words when everyone turned their eyes away as men sought the services provided. Cafe owner to teacher, postman to pastor - accusations fell off their tongues at the same speed at which they fucked him.

Heero would have been fascinated had he been human, but there was nothing strange about people refusing to realize their faults and laying blame on another. Instead he explored the area that made up their new territory, irritably ignored Treize's amusement and probing questions, and sought out Duo's company when the forest started to look the same as all the others. The forest still looked the same with Duo, although it was peered at from behind a sweat-fogged car window.

Heero had noticed that Duo's customers left immediately after the services were rendered, so he wondered if the braided man was at all bothered that Heero didn't. It wasn't like Heero was in any rush to go anywhere, after all; the forest had been explored far enough for Heero to lose interest and everything in town aside from the local bar and motel closed up at 9 PM sharp.

Heero thought that Duo actually enjoyed the company, merely because the man _never stopped talking_. His topics went from mundane to bizarre, skimmed the surface or delved deep without remorse; Heero didn't mind, found he enjoyed listening to Duo go on and on about anything. From killer whale populations to serial killers, Duo found every subject worth talking about - and was likely pleased that Heero could contribute, in some small way, with the information he'd learned from simply living too long.

"Heard some guy lost both his arms in a fire," Duo recounted cheerfully, as if sharing some vital secret and seconds away from giggling. "And the nurse, out of pity, gave him a handjob. Can you imagine what that conversation would have been like?"

Duo's eyes were on the plastic wrapping he was trying to open, the sweet smell of confectionery filling the car and mingling with that of the woods and of sex. They were sitting together in the backseat, a minimal space between them that Heero maintained because he wasn't sure if Duo would notice the chill of his skin.

"Wouldn't he just ask?" Heero pointed out.

Duo threw him a jeering look.

"With that kind of sob story? _Please_. He'd milk it for all its worth!" Here, Duo paused, grin growing smug at the unintended pun. "Or, at least, he'd get her to milk it for all its worth. _Heh heh_."

Heero valiantly did not roll his eyes. "Your humor is deplorably vulgar," he said.

Duo laughed, taking a bite from the Twinkies. "Well, you know what _I_ find deplorably vulgar? Having sex with a whore in the woods. You've shamed, like, 10 ancestors by doing that," he added glibly.

Heero bent forward a bit to nuzzle the man's neck. Blood pumped strong and sweet through Duo's veins, although Heero had only gotten a brief taste after Duo had accidentally bit his lip the other night. Although human infections and diseases had little effect on Heero's kind, it still was matter of propriety not to drink from such common sources like prostitutes and beggars - it was widely regarded as low-class, especially since they did not need to feed enough to kill their prey. Only the most serious illnesses could sour the blood enough to turn them away.

"Only ten? The modern form of mankind has been present for around 200,000 years - I have plenty of ancestors left to shame," Heero mused, slipping one hand up Duo's shirt.

"I love it when you talk evolution to me," Duo faux-swooned. He'd wrapped his legs around Heero's waist but, irritatingly, kept right on eating his treat.

The man's body was still hot from their previous round, the tangy taste of salt on Heero's tongue as he swept it down the side of Duo's neck. Their kind's saliva had useful effects on humans: if the prey was small enough, like a child, it would lull them into a deep sleep; adults, dependent mostly on genetics and circumstance, would be pulled into a state that made everything seem dream-like to highly-pleasurable.

Heero glared at him. Such looks had been known to reduce even the bravest of men to tears, but Duo's only reaction was to chortle obnoxiously.

"Even though I am one hundred percent certain you have the money for another round on you, not to mention the stamina - I'm still hungry, so you're just going to have to wait until I finish this sweet-ass Twinkie," Duo said, taking a pointed bite out of said foodstuff.

Heero continued to glare down at him, but when Duo did little more than take another bite, Heero made a show of heaving a resigned sigh and nuzzling back into the crook of Duo's neck. The chewing noises the braided man made weren't sexy, not by a long-shot, but Heero kept his eyes on Duo's bobbing Adam's apple as he swallowed bite after bite.

Once finished, Duo crumpled up the wrapper and threw it into the front seat to be taken care of later. "Thanks for being so patient, Hee-chan," Duo consoled him mockingly. (Was this another trait borne from being the only prostitute in this small town?) "Now you get to enjoy your own sweet-ass Twinkie."

Another pause, followed by a snicker. "I am really on a roll tonight-"

Heero cut him off with a kiss. It was wet and sloppy, meant to goad more interaction from the other man's tongue so that their saliva mixed and mingled. Heero's previous sources had mentioned that having sex with someone of their kind mimicked the feelings and pleasures of doing it with someone they passionately loved: bright stars and scorching fires and every touch was so sensitive it could elicit a scream of ecstasy. Every touch and taste was meant to distract from the act of feeding; Duo was too lost in the throes of pleasure to notice as Heero's mouth moved from his lips to his throat.

A kiss and then a bite - that was Heero's first taste of Duo Maxwell.

* * *

 **A/N** : Duo's really fun to write here, haha~

Anyway, this isn't going to be a long fic (judging by the style of writing and the outline), estimated about five chapters. ( ᐛ )و

 _Please be kind and **drop a review.**_ **:)**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N** : Wufei's being a cute asshole to write. 彡(-_-;)彡

 **Disclaimer** : I do not own Gundam Wing.

 **Pairings** : 1x2, 3x4, 13xUne (kinda), R+1

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

* * *

"A body in motion tends to stay in motion.

(Reebok,chiat/day.)

Just do it.

(Nike, Weiden and Kennedy.)

Dammit something just isn't right.

(Me, to my bathroom mirror at four thirty in the morning when I'm plastered.)"

 _― Augusten Burroughs_

* * *

"Having fun, Heero?" Treize asked, just as Heero reached the front door. "I think you've gone out to play every day since we first moved here."

Heero glared over at the older male. It wasn't unusual to venture out, even alone - they'd go nuts trapped in the same place with the same people for as long as they'd lived together. Even Quatre and Trowa, the most besotted couple Heero had ever encountered, would sometimes go hunting separately so that they weren't in constant contact with each other. Still, for Heero to go out every night without fail was unusual; Heero could at least be counted on to stay home on some nights, to read a good book or work on his laptop, if nothing else.

Heero let go of the doorknob, then hurled himself out the front window. Treize's startled cursing was a balm to his soul as he ran off. Heero knew the man would prioritize fixing the window over chasing him, at the very least.

Lagrange was boring, but inevitably, all places became boring. The busiest part of town was Main Street, an unimaginative name for an unimaginative place: shops and restaurants lined neatly side-by-side on a cement road that, after about ten miles or so, would merge into the highway. There was never much to do in Lagrange, especially at night - Quatre and Trowa were currently on a date at the bowling alley and Wufei had taken off into the woods to feed off either deer or the stray human, whichever caught his fancy first.

Duo's car wasn't parked in its usual spot in the woods, so Heero had wandered into town to see what else there was to do. He knew where Duo lived, of course - everyone knew the homestead of the town's only sex worker - but it was an unstated fact that Duo didn't take customers at his home. The few times he'd been approached, the doorbell was ignored and the locks clicked fast into place.

Locked doors and sturdy walls weren't enough to keep Heero's kind out; despite what legends said, invitations weren't a necessity, only a formality. But if Duo was at home, then that meant he wasn't in the mood for company - and although Heero could easily glide into Duo's home, he wouldn't for the simple fact that Duo _didn't want him to_.

So instead, Heero went into town. He idled in the library for a time, and when that closed, he went to the supermarket and perused their book selection as well. It was courteous to buy things from the local markets as a resident of the town, no matter how temporary their stay; humans, particularly in this time period and place, relied heavily on economic growth. Heero bought a book for each member of his group and a box of Honey Buns for Duo, since the man cycled through Hostess snacks like he was aiming for either cavities or diabetes. Likely both - Heero didn't pretend to understand him.

It was while he was in line at the checkout that Heero met Relena Peacecraft. A pretty and soft girl; she wore pastel colors and her hair reminded Heero of sunrise and her eyes of daybreak. She smiled at him when their eyes met, a pretty blush dusting her cheeks as she looked away shyly. Her friend standing next to her, with split eyebrows and a devilish grin, leaned forward to whisper a tease into her ears.

"You must be new in town," her friend greeted him. The two girls were third in line at the only open checkout, Heero behind them, and the cashier was aggravatingly slow.

"Yes," Heero said. It was a fair assumption. Heero's group had only arrived a little over a month ago and took few trips into town, and even then it was either too late at night or into places not fit for pretty, young girls.

"Dorothy Catalonia," the girl introduced herself. She nudged her friend forward. "This is Relena Peacecraft - our resident Beauty Queen and Princess."

The words were teasing but held no ill-intent, a sign that the two girls were close friends who'd known each other long. Relena had blushed at the titles, smacking Dorothy on the arm before looking back at Heero as if to gauge his reaction. Heero's reaction was always some variation of a physical "..." though, so the gesture was pointless.

"Come on, Princess," Dorothy jeered good-naturedly. "Your dad runs the biggest business in town and you haven't had a single boyfriend in your entire life. Can you believe it?"

Dorothy turned to Heero as if to include him in the verbal ribbing. "A pretty girl like this, single so long? I know the dating pool isn't that great here but still." Here, Dorothy paused theatrically, giving Heero an obvious once-over. The dramatic action was more comical than flirtatious, which Heero felt was exactly what the girl had been going for. It was obvious enough to the man that Relena wasn't capable of flirting for herself.

"Well, I'd say _now_ we've taken a steep step up," Dorothy leered.

Considering he'd spent over thirty days consistently with Duo, who could make unwrapping a cupcake look like a sex act, the girl's leer could only be described as cute rather than sultry. Heero didn't bother mustering up enough energy to give either girl a smile but he could admit there was something very cute about the way Relena carried herself. Her proper posture and otherwise unruffled expressions bespoke of someone with both enough confidence to match Dorothy and carry the burden of being what the small town of Lagrange regarded as upper-class.

The two girls made their purchase - a bundle of fruits and craft supplies - before saying goodbye. Dorothy looked like she was ready to give him Relena's phone number, but the honey-blond girl did it herself and with a smile.

A fair and pure maiden. Relena was practically their kind's ideal prey.

It honestly made him a bit hungry.

Heero left the supermarket, Relena's number on a paper he'd folded and stuffed into his pockets. He wasn't quite sure what he'd do with it yet, but she wasn't a pressing concern. He was thinking about joining Wufei on that hunt; at the very least, Wufei was nice company and Heero kind of wanted to see the Chinese boy's face when he gave him the trashy romance novel he'd just bought.

Heero ended up passing the gas station and spotting a familiar black Corolla. Duo emerged from the gas station's market, scowling rather fiercely and sporting a large bruise on the right side of his face, the coloring of which made it evident that the bruise wasn't more than a few hours old.

"What happened?"

Duo jumped, obviously having not either seen or heard him approach. Heero mentally berated himself; he'd moved with superhuman speed. Duo's state was...distracting.

"Where the fuck did you come from, Hee-chan?" Duo blinked. He didn't even wait for an answer, shaking his head with a small grin; the braided man had a habit of pretending not to notice or care about Heero's quirks. Instead, Duo pulled out a stick of gum and popped it into his mouth. "Anyway, what was that? I didn't catch what you said over the sound of my heart missing a beat."

Heero frowned, reaching out to gently run his fingers down the bruised side of Duo's face. "What happened?" he repeated.

"Some asshole trucker," Duo explained plainly. "Fucker thought he could pay half price for a full service. I disagreed."

'Don't kiss and tell' wasn't part of Duo's motto; if a customer pissed him off, he'd openly complain about it. According to Duo himself, this was why the assistant manager of the library hated him so much. He'd short-changed Duo at some point and the braided man had spread rumors all over town about the manager's lack of skill and stamina.

Heero stared at him. Duo shrugged but his scowl resurfaced. "Some of the guys around here get pretty physical, and I'm from foster care so it's not like I'm a stranger to violence," Duo admitted. His eyes had wandered away from Heero to the gas pump. "I'm just fucking pissed that I didn't get his money. He had a nasty right hook. Obviously."

Heero ghosted his fingertips along the bruise one more time. He was hungry, but he could wait.

"Would you like to go somewhere else?" Heero asked.

Duo looked him straight in the eye - the braided man's confidence was of a different sort than Relena's, all barbed wire and poisoned thorns to her polished steel, but it was just as present.

"Not really in the mood for that today, Heero," Duo said.

Heero withdrew his hand, reaching into his shopping bag to pull out the box of Honey Buns. "Then how about we sit outside the ice cream parlor and you can tell me all your latest theories about Game of Thrones?" he suggested blandly.

Duo stared at him, taken-aback for a moment, before letting out one of those loud, clear laughs that almost made Heero think he could feel sunlight.

"Now that sounds like a great idea," Duo agreed, taking the proffered gift with a smile. "Although if you call me 'Honey Bun', I can't promise I won't give you a matching bruise."

* * *

"Who is Relena Peacecraft?" Une asked. She was currently eyeing the pumpkin casserole she'd cooked, gauging its edibility through every sense other than taste; one of the ladies in town had challenged her into a cooking contest. Apparently even their 'family's' odd hours weren't enough to deter neighborhood competitions.

"Why?" Heero countered. It was obvious from the silent countenance of the other four males that they weren't being addressed. A small frown had flitted across Wufei's otherwise impassive features at the inquiry, clearly finding fault in such casual interactions with the people in the town; the Chinese boy had some outdated ideas about what was and wasn't appropriate for their kind to do.

"She gave you her phone number," Une said. "From the gossip I've picked up from those hags in town, she's quite popular. "

Heero nodded, rising from his chair. It was one of those odd evenings where they decided to spend some time together - even now, it was obvious Quatre was about a few minutes away from breaking out the board games.

"She's polite and well-spoken," Heero agreed. "Likely a virgin too."

Treize smiled from behind his wineglass. "Rare to meet such a pure maiden these days," he said.

Wufei grumbled something too low for even them to discern. Heero was peering at Une's casserole in consideration - from looks alone, it seemed delicious. It was pointless to try some, though; everything aside from blood tasted foul to them.

"Can you make desserts?" he asked her.

Une stared at him in incomprehension.

Heero stared back steadily. "Or show me how to make them," he amended. He pretended not to notice the odd stillness of the others at this.

"I," Une started haltingly. "I can show you how to make...fudge."

"That will work," Heero agreed. He'd seen Duo finish a brownie the size of a newborn just the other week - fudge would definitely be a hit.

Une continued to stare at him like she didn't recognize him. Heero ignored her, returning to his seat at the table. Quatre's smile was shining like a beacon, balancing out nicely with Trowa's ever-bored expression. Wufei looked as if he'd drunk sour milk, though, and Treize was giving Heero a penetrating stare from across the room.

"Are the brownies for Miss Relena?" Quatre asked kindly.

"No, they're for Duo," Heero corrected. "The town prostitute."

Treize choked on his next sip of blood.

* * *

Unsurprisingly to Heero, Quatre wanted to meet Duo. The blond was adamant about it too; apparently whoever Heero tried cooking for was someone Quatre had to see. Naturally, wherever the blond boy went, Trowa was at his side, and now the two were easily keeping pace with Heero as they glided from treetop to treetop.

"You meet him in the woods?" Quatre inquired. He looked pleasantly curious.

Heero almost felt bad. _Almost_. "He parks his car in the woods and deals with his customers there," he explained.

Demand was steady for the braided man: between the townsfolk and the passing truckers, Duo could keep a steady income. Duo also supplemented that with scrapyard work he did when felt like it, provided by a former foster sister named Hilde and her boss Howard, who had taken pity on the two back when Duo had lived in the city years ago.

"Will he be busy working?" Quatre asked with a frown. Heero knew it wasn't the job itself that gave the blond boy pause - it was more that he felt it was rude of them to interrupt Duo's work. Heero found himself liking his blond 'brother' a bit more.

"If he is, I wait until he's done," Heero said. He'd brought the fudge he made as a peace offering to the braided boy for bringing friends along this time. Although Duo loved to talk, Heero wasn't sure he was receptive to surprise guests.

"So this is what you do every night." Trowa sounded amused. Heero tore off a tree branch and threw it at him.

If Duo had had a client, they were long gone. Instead the boy was lounging in the driver's seat of his car, legs stretched out the door to rest against the dirt. His music was blaring again - it sounded like a sped-up version of jazz - and he was bobbing his head in time with the music as he fiddled with his braid.

"Duo."

The man jumped, knocking his head against the top of the car and letting out a colorful string of curses. Heero's expression didn't so much as twitch but Duo pointed at him with a virulent glare. "Stop laughing, Hee-chan! Every time you sneak up on me like that, I lose another ten years off my life!"

"It's payment to the ancestors I've shamed," Heero responded in a deadpan. "Twenty down, a thousand more to go."

"That's a lost cause, I think we're gonna hit the beginning of human civilization mark soon-" Duo abruptly cut off once he spotted who had tagged along. The grin dimmed somewhat, although Heero was the only one who could truly appreciate the change and now regretted bringing the two other males along.

"You brought friends?" Duo asked. He didn't sound betrayed and he still looked cheerful, but Heero knew he was treading dangerous territory now. In retrospect, he should have made them meet in town square instead.

"Oh, we're Heero's brothers!" Quatre interjected brightly. His smile was like injecting sunshine straight into the retinas. "Sorry about our sudden appearance, we just wanted to meet the person Heero willingly cooked fudge for! Getting him into the kitchen is like trying to get a cat in the bath," the blond boy explained good-naturedly.

Duo blinked, surprised by the other male's amiable demeanor. "Wow, I can totally see the family resemblance," the braided man said drily, glancing between the sunny blond and his two dour brunet companions. "And you must be the one burdened with carrying and displaying all of the family members' emotions."

Quatre laughed. "We're adopted," Heero said.

Duo had relaxed, if only slightly. A grin had turned his lips once more, growing more at Heero's agitated expression. "Well damn, Hee-chan, I wasn't gonna say anything," he leered, smacking the other boy in the chest lightly. "Family business is private business, after all."

Duo paused theatrically. Heero knew what that meant. "Oh, unless your private business includes _my_ private business, but then again, our privates _is_ my business!" Duo snickered, elbowing the glowering male playfully. " _Get it?_ God, if only you were in the military, this joke could go on even longer..."

Heero ignored that, pushing the pan of fudge into the man's hands. Duo looked confused for half a second, then seemed to remember what Quatre had been saying and gaped at the fudge. It was an unseemly look on the man so Heero couldn't help but laugh.

Quatre, one hand over where his heart no longer beat, was smiling warmly.

For the first time since Heero had met him, Duo was genuinely speechless. Heero savored the moment while it lasted, admirably resuming his neutral expression as Duo struggled to regain his composure. It took the latter a good minute to do so.

"Oh, um, thanks," Duo said. He looked as if he'd been knocked completely off-kilter. It was likely odd to him that someone would give him such a quaint gift, Heero thought. "I really like it, it looks great!"

Heero snorted. "You haven't even tried it yet," he pointed out.

Duo's eyes glanced at his face before returning to the fudge. Startlingly, he actually seemed shy - the look was so out of place on the braided man, Heero almost thought about kicking Quatre and Trowa out of the clearing so they wouldn't see it.

"You know what I meant," Duo mumbled. Heero had cut the fudge into squares, 8 by 8, and Duo picked one up for a quick taste. Heero watched him intently; he'd remade the batch twice to make sure it turned out as perfect as he could make it, especially considering he had nearly no dessert cooking experience beforehand. At the very least, the consistency and color were perfect.

Judging by Duo's expression, the taste was adequate. The braided man let out a sound of satisfaction, finishing the rest of the piece and licking his fingers clean in a manner that belied his occupation. Heero could sense his two 'brothers' tensing behind him - a natural response, given that Duo was an attractive man and the scent of his pumping blood was alluring.

"It's delicious, Hee-chan! Thanks!" Duo crooned, throwing his arms around the other male. The hug was loose but genuine, a new facet to Duo; the only time Duo ever truly showed such an intimate side was when Heero paid for it beforehand.

"Oh, did you guys want some?" Duo offered, looking over Heero's shoulder at the quiet couple.

Quatre seemed to startle out of his trance. "A-Ah, no thank you... We're not fond of sweets," the blond explained, looking a tad helpless. This had more to do with the fact that he'd just seen Heero acquiesce (even _enjoy_ ) a hug, rather than being caught off-guard and being forced to lie. Lying was easy for them now and Quatre was one of the best liars in the group.

"Medical conditions," Trowa intoned quietly. "Our diet is restrictive."

Duo made a sound of understanding, violet eyes turning back to Heero. "So that's why you never eat anything I offer you," he mused.

Heero stared back at him evenly. Technically, Trowa wasn't lying.

Duo cocked a smirk. "Well, except some _sausage_ ," he added with a waggle of the eyebrows.

Quatre made a sound caught halfway between a gasp and a laugh, while Trowa's lips twitched upwards at the corners.

"Don't laugh, it only encourages him," Heero admonished. Duo's grin was the only response to that.

* * *

 **A/N** : Kind of wanted to make Dorothy a vampire from the very start but managed to restrain myself. ;)

 _Please be kind and **drop a review.**_


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N** : Thanks for the reviews, guys! ٩(o ε o)۶

 **Disclaimer** : I do not own _Gundam Wing_.

 **Pairings** : Ditto last chapter.

 **Warnings** : Ditto last chapter.

* * *

 **Chapter 3**

* * *

"Everything in life -

the gold fillings of your teeth, the cotton of your sheets, the air you breathe, all the food you will ever eat

\- everything there was born from a collision.

Inside every single thing that lives is a debt to a distant star that died.

Nothing new is ever created without one thing colliding into another."

 _-Augusten Burroughs_

* * *

The sun had finally sunk below the horizon, allowing Heero to finally step outside. Today, just as any other day, was unplanned for him, but even the others in his house knew he intended to spend it with what Wufei scathingly labelled 'unsavory company'. Even Quatre's support wasn't enough to curb the Chinese boy's predetermined identification, and whatever Treize or Une thought about Heero's association with Duo, they didn't say anything.

The black Corolla was once again parked in its usual spot, Duo leaned against the open passenger side's door as he accepted the handful of bills passed over to him. Heero recognized the man paying the braided male; he was a part-time mechanic at the car shop in town, a seasonal resident of Lagrange that had made some derogatory comments about Quatre and Trowa when they'd been playing at the local arcade.

This wasn't the first time Heero had reached Duo when he was with a customer. 'Business' didn't usually pick up for Duo until later in the evening, after people had gotten off work and were trying to relax after dinner. Heero was out of the house as soon as the sun had set, which was too early for Duo's busiest time to strike, so he had been able to enjoy monopolizing the sex worker's time for the most part. There were times Heero had to hunt first however, in those instances where he couldn't feed from Duo - Heero knew better than to just continually feed from one person, after all, and knew Duo needed time to recover the blood he'd lost.

This wasn't even the first time Heero had reached Duo just as he started with a customer. He could either wait until they finished - it never felt long, Heero thought Duo's customers were laughably quick - or spend time elsewhere, either hunting or killing time around town. Wufei had deigned to mingle with the townsfolk this week, so Quatre and Trowa were escorting him around and surreptitiously making sure he didn't smear some hapless fool against the pavement. Wufei was entertaining, at least to Heero's twisted sense of humor.

Heero could join them, but he didn't. Instead he made his footsteps audible as he encroached into the clearing. Duo caught sight of him first, business smile falling off his lips to be replaced with a quizzical look. The mechanic turned at the interruption, a constipated look flashing across his features; he likely didn't want to be caught paying for sex, especially for sex with a man.

"What the hell!" the mechanic sneered. He seemed at a loss on how to handle the situation, so he devolved to cursing.

Duo's eyes moved from his customer to Heero. "...sorry, bit busy right now. Come back another time," he advised to Heero. His tone was all business but still friendly - a marker of how much time he'd spent in service.

Heero didn't let Duo's words deter him. Instead, he glared over at the mechanic, closing the distance between them and noting the way the man tensed. Prey could naturally identify the predator; the mechanic may not understand why his instincts were screaming at him to flee, but given enough exposure to Heero, he'd obediently listen to those subconscious warning signs. If not, Heero could restrain himself enough so that his punch would only send the mechanic flying into unconsciousness rather than openly killing him.

"Fuck this," the mechanic grunted, snatching his money back from Duo's hands and storming off. The pace of his steps picked up as he made it past Heero, practically running his way back to where he'd parked his own car a bit farther off. Heero didn't turn to watch his retreat, eyes meeting Duo's gaze as the sound of stomping footsteps faded from their hearing and were replaced with start of a car engine.

"...That's bad for business, Heero," Duo finally said. His tone was cold.

Heero moved closer to the braided male, ignoring the way Duo's hands twitched as if the sex worker was stopping the impulse to punch him.

"Sorry," He wasn't. "I'll pay extra."

Duo frowned, crossing his arms over his chest with a glower. "Keeping a decent size customer base is one of the most important parts of a business. I can't do that if you're scaring them off," Duo explained.

Heero snorted. Given Heero's monopoly on him, Duo couldn't be seeing more than one customer a day. If Heero hadn't been paying (and treating) him so well, the braided man would have complained long ago. Now it just seemed Duo was getting antsy over the fact that Heero's presence was somehow dwindling his customer base.

It was a fair observation. A lot of the residents in Lagrange suspected he was utilizing Duo's services these days, although they probably didn't expect he was doing it so often. They speculated that perhaps Duo was finding new customers in the surrounding towns, not just spending nearly all his time with Heero in the local area.

"I'm serious, Heero!" Duo snapped.

"What's your average monthly income?" Heero asked. "Including the extra bit you make from scavenging computer parts."

Duo stared at him. "How the fuck do you know about-"

"You smell like metal and circuits sometimes," Heero answered before Duo could even finish the question.

Duo blinked. He looked like he was internally struggling over whether or not to ask how Heero could smell circuits on him, but was pushing the question to the side in favor of the argument now.

Heero continued on almost mechanically. "Your home looks like it's valued at about $70,000. Mortgage payments in this area generally run about $1500 a month, then add on your other expenses such as water, gas, electricity, phone, car payments-"

"I don't need a run-down on my monthly expenses," Duo cut in.

Heero's eyes and tone were calm. "Your estimated monthly expenses would be around $2300. Based off what I have paid for your services and what I estimate is your usual flow of 'customers', you make about $3000 on a good month, less than $2000 when it's slow. Including the time you take 'off' and cutting into your sleep, you scavenge computer parts to supplement your income during the slow periods. You are surviving. Barely."

Duo's expression seemed caught between uncomfortable and unimpressed. The fact that Heero was right likely put him off, but the braided man figured that it was pretty easy to figure out his income given the circumstances.

"If you're worried about your customer base, then let's make this easy. I'll pay you $5000 a month," Heero offered.

Duo openly gaped at him.

"There are university courses online these days as well," Heero continued on unperturbed. "If you'd like, you could pursue an online degree. I can cover the tuition costs as well." Heero had known people who would sell their souls to pay off student loan debts. He didn't think Duo would bother with college courses if he had to rack up debts for them.

Duo was completely silent. This was only the second time in their entire companionship that Heero had even heard him so blessedly silent, so he tried to soak up the moment once more.

"I don't do sugar daddies," Duo said. His voice sounded hollow.

Heero didn't let it phase him. "Then think of me as a recurring customer with a reservation," he replied.

Duo glared at him.

Heero cocked his head to the side. Some form of compromise, then. "I won't interfere with your other customers. If I just happen to be present when they arrive, we can see if they still require your services," Heero added.

"That doesn't mean much. You scared off Mueller just by looking at him," Duo said.

Heero smirked. "I can't help the way I look, Duo," he pointed out.

Duo stared at him. Heero matched the look evenly.

Finally, with a resigned sigh, Duo shrugged. "Well, why the hell not. It's not like I'm going to complain about extra money," he gave in with a grumble.

"And the online college courses?" Heero asked.

An uncomfortable look settled on Duo's face. "I didn't pass high school," he admitted after a moment.

Heero didn't even blink. "GED first, then."

* * *

Heero had never taught before. He was considered a genius in both mathematics and science, and had a decent head for literature, but he'd never gone out of his way to teach anyone these subjects before. It helped that Duo could memorize formulas and apply theorems, which made catching him up on math and science not too difficult for Heero, but Heero had to wonder what kind of school system could fail someone like Duo.

"It's easy to dismiss a foster kid with a history like mine," Duo had explained once Heero brought it up. "It didn't help that I skipped a lot of class, too. It was easier making money with a quick romp under the bleachers rather than studying for tests or doing homework."

Duo wasn't stupid but he was easily distracted, and Heero didn't help matters by being easily seduced when Duo got bored of discourse on _1984_ or _Anna Karenina_. Heero could argue with the best of them over the 'true meaning' of the literary classics, but he tended to miss discussing vital elements of passion or morals that the books belied.

Which was why, against all logic and reason, Heero decided to enlist help.

From Wufei.

Wufei had always been the scholarly sort. He could easily keep pace with Heero and the others in the fields of science and maths, but he almost excelled past even the cultured Quatre when it came to literature.

Wufei had declined, scathingly at first and then ferociously after. Quatre had offered to help tutor, shooting Wufei a look that edged somewhere between chastisement and disappointment, but apparently Duo was distracting for all members of Heero's group. Quatre had shown up to tutor Duo about The Great Gatsby, and by the time Heero and Trowa had returned with snacks (for Duo), the pair were deeply engrossed in a conversation about the mating habits of werewolves.

It took another week of Heero's polite requests, Quatre's woebegone looks, and Trowa's vaguely-challenging expressions of near-amusement to goad Wufei into finally conceding. Treize helped expedite the issue by offering to tutor Duo himself since "Wufei seems busy, perhaps he now thinks literature is a lost art."

Duo and Wufei's first meeting was...loud.

Wufei put up no pretense, making it obvious that he found Duo's job as a sex worker to be something honorless. Duo, who had heard crueler things from both the people of Lagrange and his time on the streets and foster care, had grinned at the Chinese boy and offered a full service at a discount.

Wufei's expression was apoplectic and if he'd been human, he would have turned a furious red; instead he'd tossed a copy of The Scarlet Letter in Duo's general direction and went into a virulent rant comparing Duo's and the book's protagonist's moral character.

At some point in the mutual screaming match, as Heero wondered if he should buy two or three boxes of cookies for the braided man, Duo had belted out a pinpoint accurate analysis comparing the Scarlet Letter's Hester to the Judeo-Christian mythological figure of Eve.

Heero decided on two boxes of cookies and took off to buy them. Wufei wouldn't kill Duo, but Heero couldn't guarantee his own eardrums' survival.

* * *

The local arcade was bustling on a Saturday evening, and despite the small size of the town, Merquise's arcade boasted a large and varied collection of games. Vintage stood side-by-side with the latest releases, and Heero couldn't help but remember the excitement when the original Pac-Man had first come out.

Quatre and Wufei - who had opted to join them this time all because Duo had teased him about his lack of gaming skills - were currently competing in a racing game. Wufei was a serious and silent competitor against the mild-mannered Quatre, but Heero knew the blond well enough to see that despite the amiable countenance, Quatre was whispering playful but strategic jabs to keep up the competitive spirit.

Duo was monopolizing the Tekken station, alternating between sneering obscenities or cries of victory over his computer competitor. Trowa was at the crane game next to the braided man, methodically winning one stuffed animal after another. At the rate the tall male was going, he'd clean out the machine of its goods in just about an hour.

Heero had been Duo's original Tekken partner but kindly gave Duo the win _("Don't be a sore loser, Hee-chan, just admit you lost to my superior skills~!"),_ meandering off to buy the man a drink. The vending machines offered soda, juice, or water, and Heero had spent a good five minutes thinking over the best choice.

This was how Relena and Dorothy stumbled upon him once more. The honey-blond paused, a light blush on her cheeks when Heero turned to regard her. He wasn't done comparing the appeal of strawberry lemonade versus fruit punch, so he stepped aside for the girls to go first.

"Well, well, who thought Dracula would turn up at the arcade," Dorothy greeted with a smirk.

Heero didn't do much more than blink.

There were 32 people in the arcade, not including Heero's group. He could kill five by himself in under a minute, and accidental fires weren't that uncommon in buildings like this. They would, on principle, make sure everyone was dead first before they set them ablaze.

Relena smacked her friend on the arm. "Don't be a bitch, Dorothy!" she chided.

"It's important to be honest with yourself, Princess," her friend opined.

Relena pushed her away. Dorothy moved forward instead, purchasing the drink she came here for and wandering off with nothing more than an unrepentant look on her face. Heero idly thought that Treize would like the girl; her personality would be scarily amusing to the male.

"Sorry," Relena said. "We, uh, we heard about your family's condition."

Heero nodded in understanding. Une apparently had been successful in convincing those that mattered (those that were a threat) that their group suffered from severe photosensitivity, an extreme allergy to the sun. It handily explained their nocturnal wanderings and reclusive natures in the daytime, and with the advent of science over superstition in the present-day, people were more often than not sympathetic and understanding to their 'condition' rather than suspicious of their true natures.

"I've been called worse," Heero said, when Relena continued to look uncomfortable. "And she didn't mean anything hurtful when she said it."

Relena sighed in relief. "Dorothy's a...unique personality, but she's a good person."

Heero didn't quite buy that but Relena would know the girl better. Relena shuffled her feet a bit, leaving Heero to return his attention to the vending machines.

"We," Relena started again haltingly. "No, I mean 'I', um, I heard you've been...spending time with Duo Maxwell?"

Heero turned back to her. Judging by the expression on her face, Relena was well-aware of Duo's job and reputation. She was only using vague terms to be polite.

Heero nodded.

Relena steeled herself, looking more certain now. "It's not really a good idea to...be around him too much. I don't think he's a bad guy or anything," Relena explained, keeping her tone neutral and her words defensive. "It's just, he's not exactly the best or, or healthiest person to spend time with."

Heero nodded again. "Duo would agree," he said.

Heero returned with a bottle of strawberry lemonade in hand, just in time to see the butcher's son Alex attempt to grab Duo by the arm and drag him off for a paid good time. In spite of Duo's casual interest in extra money, Alex's attempt remained an attempt when Trowa came up silently behind the braided man and grabbed hold of Alex's forearm, single-handedly throwing him a good couple meters away.

Alex's dumbfounded look and pained whimpers were taken in with silently terrified looks by the other arcade-goers.

Duo just looked resigned. "My customer base has been taking a lot of critical hits recently," he observed in a droll tone.

Trowa pulled out a stuffed penguin from his bag of trophies, pushing it into Duo's hands.

* * *

The first time Heero had invited Duo over to their house, the braided man had deflected. The second time, he pretended to be engrossed in his Chemistry notes. The third and final time, Heero wouldn't let Duo climax until he'd agreed to visit. Sometimes sex was the best way to argue with Duo.

Everyone had made sure to feed the night before so they wouldn't be hungry for Duo's visit, and even Une had spent a fair bit of time making sure she'd stocked enough sweets to appease the man's rumored sweet tooth. Wufei had ridiculed their busybody natures but no one could take him seriously after he'd gone into town and purchased one copy of each available board game. Quatre and Trowa had been given the self-appointed tasks of making the house looked lived-in, resulting in a truly eclectic decoration collection. Treize had going over several different crystal decanters, most of which that were definitely not filled with wine, although Treize promised that a few held pure vintage wine.

Heero had wisely not invited Duo over for dinner. The braided man would find it undeniably odd if he were the only one actually eating as everyone else at the table sipped from suspicious wineglasses. So when Duo showed up on their doorstep with a wine bottle, Treize was happy to receive it and store it in their wine cellar with a great show of appreciation.

Duo's eyes had flickered over to the SUV parked out front. "I didn't think you guys owned a car," he said. "Since I only ever see you walking."

"We enjoy walking," Heero replied. To them, there was no point driving around such a small place like Lagrange.

Duo made a noncommittal noise. "I know what you enjoy, Hee-chan," he grinned.

Wufei tossed Duo a scathing look. "Have you no sense of propriety?" he hissed.

"Sorry, Waffles, I left my bonnet and inhibitions at home," Duo returned glibly.

Wufei's answering scowl was comically visceral. "Is that also where you left your manners, you-"

Quatre's expression was that of fond exasperation, a nonverbal implication of 'here we go again' that went ignored by the bantering pair. Une was looking openly entertained, apparently not minding being ignored so long as it meant getting to see Wufei's composure break down.

Duo's introduction to Heero's 'parents' went surprisingly smooth. Une was nothing if not supportive of Duo's eccentricities and lack of subtlety, which Heero privately knew was just because she thought it hilarious. Treize was as polite and regal as ever, but the older male did have a way of interacting with others that didn't come across as condescending; this, in turn, made Duo completely at ease and easy to get along with.

Heero had no plan on what to do with Duo now that he was in his home. This was the first time in his long, long life that he'd ever had a guest over in their dwelling that he didn't automatically want to kill, and since Heero was the one to invite him, this meant entertaining Duo was Heero's first priority.

Luckily for Heero, Duo was easily entertained.

In four hours, they'd gone through chess, checkers, the Life board game, poker, a very serious discussion about the ending of the _Harry Potter_ series, and now were engaged in a game of Monopoly that - to no one's surprise - Quatre was winning, although Duo was a close second.

"I've killed people for less," Trowa stated without inflection.

Duo smirked, unrepentant. "Pay me the fucking rent, cyclops!"

The game abruptly ended when Wufei upturned the board after being sent to the jail twice in a row. This was a good thing, Heero conceded; Une looked like she was considering slaughtering them as a whole after Treize bought up more property that she kept landing on.

Quatre then ushered them into the living room to watch a movie. Their top selection of movie titles varied wildly, dating from Charlie Chaplin's works to the latest blockbusters. As the guest, Duo was allowed first choice, which resulted in a marathon of Disney Princess movies that had all five of the youngest males both watching avidly and starting a running commentary.

At some point between the transition from _Cinderella_ to _Beauty and the Beast_ , Treize had taken Heero aside and down into the wine cellar. The older male pulled one crystal decanter down from the rack, unstopping the cork with a smile.

"Things are going to get pretty noisy around here," Treize observed with a wry laugh, placing the decanter on the table and pushing a steel funnel into the top opening. He brought one pale wrist to his mouth, teeth elongating and sharpening to tear more easily into his own flesh. Holding it over the funnel, they both watched as a thick river of blood dribbled out and into the crystal decanter of red wine.

Treize pulled his wrist back, licking his own wound. The gash healed at a quicker pace, allowing Treize the freedom to look over at Heero with indulgent eyes. Heero bowed, at once both smooth yet awkwardly mechanical - this was the first time in a long while where Heero had to properly thank the older male for something.

Just as Treize had done, Heero brought his own wrist to his mouth to bite. His own blood dripped into his mouth, an unpleasant and unsavory taste, before he held it over the funnel the same way. Treize watched carefully, calculating how much was necessary to mix in with the wine and his own offering. Only once Treize was satisfied that Heero's supply matched his own did Treize stop him. It was only the first dose, after all; there was no need for a large amount quite yet.

Heero tended to his wound as Treize took up the decanter, churning it just enough so that the blood mixed in as much with the wine as it could. Treize pulled out another crystal decanter, this one with a red liquid far thicker than the one they just worked on. Once the wound was healed, Treize led the way back up the stairs and into the kitchen. Heero fetched the wine glasses, seven in total, placing them atop the counter for Treize to distribute the drinks accordingly. Six of thick red, one of their special mix.

Heero carried the tray of drinks out after Treize took his own glass, moving back into the living room just as Trowa serenely observed that there was nothing a lit candelabra could do to sexually satisfy a feather duster. "Maybe she has pyrophilia," Wufei said, then looked like he regretted saying it aloud as Duo burst into laughter, accidentally spraying his lap with brownie crumbs.

Heero frowned. "Where did you get brownies?"

Duo pointed to Quatre, who pointed to Trowa, who pointed to Une. "Snitches," the woman growled playfully. Heero handed her one of the wineglasses, passing the rest out and saving the mixed glass for Duo.

"Wine and brownies and movies," Duo said with a laugh. "This is definitely living the good life."

Heero wedged himself back into his spot between Quatre and Duo. "Easy to please," he remarked, watching as Duo took a sip from his glass.

Duo gave him a cocky grin. "Most would say I'm an expensive play date," he shot back.

Wufei snorted, the only audible sound aside from the movie playing. Although they did a good job of hiding it, Heero caught the furtive glances in Duo's direction as he took greater and greater sips from his drink. For all that Wufei lamented, Duo still did have enough manners left in him not to just gulp down the wine, but it was obvious enough that he loved it.

"What kind of wine is this?" Duo asked after he'd drunk more than of it. "I don't think I've ever tasted wine this sweet."

Trowa, who had his one visible eye otherwise riveted to the TV screen, couldn't stop the corners of his mouth from twitching upwards in amusement. Quatre did an excellent job of hiding his chuckle behind a cough, and even Wufei was smirking now.

Heero was nonplussed. For a sweets-maniac like Duo, it only figured that the drink would come across as sweet to him.

"Secret recipe," Heero answered. "We make it ourselves."

Duo hummed in consideration, taking another generous sip. As Belle ran in fear from the Beast's castle, Wufei refilled Duo's glass without mention. As Belle danced with her beastly love interest, Une refilled Duo's glass.

By the time the movie ended, Duo had drained three cups of wine and fallen asleep on Heero's shoulder.

"Did you ever even consider Relena Peacecraft?" Une asked out of curiosity.

Heero easily picked Duo up, one arm around the man's shoulders and the other under his knees. Quatre and Trowa were already cleaning up the glasses and snacks, Wufei putting the cushions back on the couch and turning off the television.

"Not even once," Heero said.

* * *

 **A/N** : (｡•̀ᴗ-)

Hm... Well, in all honesty, if this was going to be an epic-long fic - I'd have to change the writing style. The way I write this one isn't really suited for the long-fic type, haha~ Maybe I'll try my hand at a more narrative-heavy type of GW vampire fic later.

I still like the way this one is turning out though. But yep, only a few more chapters left. φ(^∇^ )

Thanks again for the feedback!

 _Please be kind and **drop a review**._


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N** : (ノ°▽°)ノ︵┻━┻

 **Disclaimer** : I do not own Gundam Wing.

 **Pairings** : Ditto last chapter.

 **Warnings** : Ditto last chapter. References to Bram Stoker's Dracula. Implications of death by fire.

* * *

 **Chapter 4**

* * *

"You would be amazed by what you can give up, lose, or break,

And yet still be a person who gets happy over brownies."

- _Augusten Burroughs_

* * *

They had been human once too, and even if it was just the physical chemistry of their body remembering what it had once needed, they also slept. Not like the dead, funnily enough – it was the opposite, as if they were constantly on the verge of fully waking. They were constantly aware of their surroundings as they rested, of the feel of the air on their skin and the sound and smell of their surroundings: if someone drew near, they could feel them – if the sun had set, they knew it. Hunger could be abated but the instinct to hunt always lurked in the back of their mind; Heero had been ready to tear out someone's throat long before he thought of drinking it.

They chose to rest during the day because there was little else to do when trapped in one place. Sometimes when a particular crisis came up, they remained active for days at a time. At one point, Heero had stayed 'conscious' for as long as two months straight – but the energy required to maintain that level of activity had made him voracious. He'd killed more than 20 people during that time. Resting tempered the hunger, allowed their unnatural existences to maintain some equilibrium so that they didn't need to kill to eat.

So when Duo woke up at two in the afternoon the following day, Heero's eyes snapped open to watch the man. He'd brought Duo to his room; taking Duo back to his own home wasn't a viable option since he didn't feel up to explaining to Duo that he could easily break into his house, with or without consent. Besides, in the modern day, it was common practice to let a friend sleep over if they were too inebriated to return home.

Heero's room wasn't anything extraordinary. Their lifestyle demanded a nomadic mindset, so Heero didn't keep anything too big to carry around. The bigger furniture, like beds or dressers or desks, were provided by Treize in a whimsical sense; the man liked to set them up in home-like places but even he regarded them as décor, not necessities. Heero himself valued only his laptop, his gun, and a small bottle filled the ash of a little girl that had been his first unnecessary and unintended kill. These items were kept on the lone desk in the room. Aside from that, there was only a bed and a desk chair.

Duo was sitting on the edge of the bed, back to Heero as he took in the room as best he could in the dark. The window had been sealed off with duct tape, nails, and dark plastic that made absolutely certain no sunlight could filter in. Human eyes adjusted slowly, but once they did, Duo was able to make out the bare furnishings and, more importantly, the still figure of Heero laying down beside him.

Duo didn't say anything. Heero wondered if he was puzzled by his own sluggish awakening; Heero didn't know Duo's alcohol tolerance level, didn't know if he found it suspicious that he'd passed out after three glasses. Their saliva could be likened to an accelerant, but their blood acted more like a sedative. Their blood was the way they made more of themselves, after all, and the first thing that blood tried to do was kill the one that tasted it. The greater the dosage, the more severe the effects; Duo only got sleepy on the first dose. By the second dose, he'd become sluggish, a sickly feeling of exhaustion coupling his every move – he wouldn't be able to focus for very long, subdued and almost unresponsive. After the second dose, there was no turning back – either he would turn or he would die. And then, after the third dose, he'd be one of them.

"Heero."

Duo's voice was even, as if he knew Heero wasn't sleeping despite not having even looked at him. There was no uncertainty in his tone, no sense of urgency; Duo knew Heero was awake and was ready to have a conversation.

"Yes," Heero said.

"Did you put something in the wine you gave me?" Duo asked.

"Yes," Heero replied.

"What did you put in it?" Duo asked after a considerable pause. He spoke quieter now, lower than his normal speaking volume. If Heero had been a lesser man, it would have been intimidating.

For a moment, Heero wondered if it would be worth it to lie – but at this point, it was pointless to bluff now. The first dose had already been administered, and from the back, Heero could still discern the stiffness in Duo's shoulders. The sex worker may brush off Heero's oddities without much of a backwards look, but Heero wasn't fool enough to believe that Duo dismissed them completely. The braided man had likely amassed a mental observation list, clocking in every strange nuance Heero and the others displayed while he was with them. Just because he'd never brought it up aloud, didn't mean Duo hadn't thought about it.

"Blood," Heero admitted. "We mixed it with the wine. That's why it tasted so sweet to you."

Heero sat up but didn't say anything, waiting for the other man to speak – to demand a reason, to ask further questions, to rant and rave. But Duo just sat on the edge of the bed, silent as he thought, and Heero took the time to let his eyes idle over the messy quality of Duo's braid.

"…I suppose I'd be reaching a bit far if I asked if that was some kind of kink you never shared, huh?" Duo finally said, taking hold of his braid and fraying up the ends.

Heero made a disagreeing noise. "I want to make you one of us," he said.

Duo didn't ask for clarification on what that meant. Heero thought about asking when he'd known, but in the end, it would still be the same: Heero waiting for Duo to either give him the green light or to stop.

Heero had only Turned one person in his life, and that had been Trowa. The circumstances had been different, of course: they'd met in war, for one, and they'd built a relationship that stemmed from platonic feelings rooted in bloodshed. Heero had valued the other male, had wanted his companionship for longer than a war would allow, and so Heero selfishly took Trowa from the mortal coil. Trowa, who had nothing but the life mercenaries had granted him with its multitude of debts, did not care about the loss of his mortality; likewise, Heero had not hesitated in taking it from him.

There was a life to Duo that Heero couldn't just take him away from, a circumstance that while no more desirable was still one that Duo had chosen to maintain. There were people that Duo shared a relationship with, a history that he had not fully divulged, a brand of enthusiasm he had for his life despite its many pitfalls.

Heero could take him, but he would do so only if Duo allowed it.

"Does this mean I'm already like you now?" Duo asked quietly.

"No," Heero responded. "I would need to drain you of some of your blood, then give you some of mine, another two times."

The first taste didn't require the draining. It was only meant to get the target's body started on the transition, which was why a person could still remain a human afterwards.

Duo sighed, stretching a bit with a crack of his joints. He didn't ask further, didn't even look back at Heero as he stood and glanced about the room. It took Heero a moment to figure out what the other man was looking for.

"Your shoes are by the front door," Heero said.

"…wanna walk me there, or is this not a good time?" Duo asked. His tone suggested he almost wanted to turn the whole situation into a joke but knew better. He did finally turn back to look at Heero, small smile on his lips that looked a touch sad and far more genuine than Heero had ever seen before.

"I can walk you to the door, just…not outside," Heero admitted, standing.

They walked quietly through the house. Treize and Une slept in the basement, as it was the only room with no windows and they preferred that after their long histories. Trowa and Quatre shared the master bedroom since they were a pair, with Heero in the room adjacent and Wufei further down the hall. No one roused at their movements, but they wouldn't unless Heero called for them or they felt it instinctively to be an emergency.

Every window had thick curtains drawn closed so that no sunlight could enter, lurching the house into a constant haze of darkness. Duo pulled on his shoes once they reached the entrance, taking in the myriad of locks on the front door silently. Heero unfastened them one at a time, ignoring the way Duo's gaze itched on his back.

"You should probably take a few steps back, it's gotta be unpleasant when I open the door," Duo said, one hand on the doorknob.

Heero, waiting a few paces back already, agreed.

Duo didn't turn the doorknob. Heero waited, silent and observant. Duo's heartbeat felt steady, rhythmic, the air around him did not taste of fear or anger. It was surreal, how…easily accepting Duo was of the situation. Even if he'd pieced it together beforehand, most people would panic at having the existence of monsters confirmed.

"I think it's easy to assume you know someone, after spending so much time together," Duo said. His voice had the same hypnotic lull he used when approaching a possible customer, one that Heero hadn't heard in a while. "But Heero, you don't know _one goddamn thing about me_."

Duo smiled at him over his shoulder. There was something beautiful in that expression, no matter how much the words hurt.

"Don't make the mistake of getting stuck with me forever."

* * *

"So you just let him go?" Wufei demanded, vexed in a way Heero understood but didn't expect. The Chinese man had always been the reserved type, if a bit quick to get disgruntled with their antics, so Heero wasn't altogether too perturbed by his reaction to Duo's departure from their home.

"Did you want to just keep him locked in the basement then?" Trowa asked. The words were delivered in his customarily droll tone but years of familiarity exposed the sarcasm in his words.

Quatre, seated on the couch across the room from where Heero and Wufei stood, looked amused by the proposition. "Such a stickler for tradition, Wufei," the blond said. "I'm surprised you didn't suggest creeping in through Duo's window at night and Turning him as you saw fit."

Wufei sneered, annoyed at their whimsical approach to the situation. "If Yuy won't, I will," he promised.

"If you do, I'll kill you," Heero said evenly. His expression didn't even change.

Treize stepped in at this point, likely to stop either male from carrying out their threats. "Duo Maxwell is Heero's responsibility," he decided. "If he is to be Turned, Heero will do so. If not, what happens to him after will be at Heero's discretion."

A stillness settled on all of them at the words. They were able to move about as freely as they had because Treize maintained a code they had to live by – and that meant if anyone found out about what they were, they had to be dealt with in some way. The most frequent method was to kill them.

"Understood," Heero said.

* * *

As expected, Duo's car was not in the clearing nor about town. It was parked squarely in Duo's driveway, next to the man's dull brown house. All of the windows in the one-story home were closed and locked, along with the front and back doors; the curtains were drawn closed so that no one could peer inside, only the dull illumination of lamplights the sole sign someone was home.

Heero stood on the threshold, one hand on the doorknob in consideration. It would be a simple thing to break in. The locks were flimsy at best, deadbolts and chains unable to keep him out. Duo did not have any guard dogs to warn him, no security system in place to keep him safe.

Even so, Heero did not want Duo to feel like he wasn't safe with him. So instead he released the doorknob, ignored Wufei's disgruntled hiss from across the street, and walked away.

"Should we go to the arcade tonight?" Quatre mused openly, falling into step with Heero.

Trowa was walking behind them, an unobtrusive but threatening presence. He had his one visible green eye locked ahead but no one was fooled; his attention was reserved for Wufei, a silent but audible threat to keep to Treize's orders and follow them. The Chinese boy fell into step with Trowa, giving him nothing more than a glower but stiffly acknowledging he wasn't going to do anything.

"Trowa's been banned from the arcade," Heero stated.

Quatre laughed. "Oh, that's right! Although I think that was more because Merquise didn't want to lose any more of his merchandise than what happened with Alex," he said.

Wufei snorted. "What did you even do with all those stuffed animals?" he asked.

"Put them in donations," Trowa answered.

Heero didn't pause, so much as he slowed down so that their gait didn't look quite so militaristic. They'd been aiming for a leisurely stroll but between Heero and Trowa, their more reflexive inclination to stride was apparent. Quatre was a fortunate addition then, as the blond was more used to pleasure walks and could guide them accordingly. This made it less awkward when they ran across other townsfolk, particularly the observant ones.

Like Dorothy.

"Oh, Dracula and his posse!" the girl greeted with a grin, voice clearly audible from across the street. Next to her, Relena looked like she wanted to shush her friend but her desire to go speak with Heero was keeping her from chastisement.

Quatre's smile became more affixed, a bright and sunny contrast to the lack of expression on both Heero's and Trowa's own visages. Wufei muttered something derogatory in Chinese but this did little to dissuade the girls from crossing the street to join them.

"So if you're Dracula," Dorothy started with a leer in Heero's direction. "That must make these three your brides."

Relena pushed the blond girl out of the way with a huff. "Dorothy, don't be rude!"

Quatre's smile was almost angelic. "Does that make you Lucy Westenra, Miss Catalonia?" he asked brightly.

Dorothy's eyes flashed. "Oh ho, so the cutest one of you lot is the only one who has any bite?" she laughed. "Although I admit, I like the idea of a few good men fighting for my attention…"

"She died twice in the novel," Wufei stated boredly. "You will die only once."

Relena paled at the male's no-nonsense tone but Dorothy had only laughed again, clearly amused by it. Heero was starting to think the girl wasn't exactly in her right mind, because any living creature should have been able to sense the sheer amount of killing intent that lurked behind Wufei's countenance. Although the Chinese male's expression betrayed nothing, there was an instinctual urge to maim hidden just beneath his serene exterior.

"That presupposes that Miss Peacecraft would be Mina Murray," Quatre pointed out in consideration. "And if Heero is Dracula, then that wouldn't be quite right."

Dorothy's eyebrow ticked in irritation. "I beg to differ," she drawled.

"Then you're wrong." Trowa had joined.

The four males had already known he was coming, but Heero couldn't quite stop himself from looking before it was appropriate to do so. He'd already turned his head before the footsteps were audible, and even then the girls had yet to catch on before he spoke.

"If you guys are going to have a bitch fit, do it somewhere else," Duo said, tone as even as he could muster when he looked like he was suffering from the world's worst hangover. His braid was messy and loose, thrown over one bared shoulder as the loose sweater he wore threatened to slip off. He was wearing a pair of gray sweatpants and house slippers, pinching the bridge of his nose in irritation.

The first taste was still a step intended targets could recover from, but that did not make it easy. The addiction was comparable to that of narcotics; not quite the feral need of actual food or air, but one that would break lesser men and could make a mess of a person's inhibitions. If Heero got so much as a papercut right now, Duo's attention would be immediately arrested by the droplets of his blood. Only the sire could inspire such intensity from the target individual, the only break from lethargy that targets could experience aside from episodes of extreme emotional reactions. Treize still fondly recalled the time Wufei had cut a man down with a ceremonial sword after the Chinese male's first taste, riled by his opponent's threats to a relative. Compared to Wufei, Duo was far more expressive.

"Fuck off, Maxwell," Dorothy threw back. The words curiously lacked malice, more reflexive than outright hostile.

"I'm not working right now, Catalonia," Duo responded breezily. He would have smiled if he didn't look so exhausted. "And your caterwauling is upsetting the cat."

"You don't have a cat," Trowa said. He would know; despite animals being instinctually wary of their kind, Trowa had developed an odd sort of rapport with any of the feline species. If he'd actually bothered to keep any, Treize had said he would be able to make them familiars – a rare and curious ability that, of their group, only Trowa had developed. Wufei was just silently echoing Duo's words, surprised the man would use such an old-fashioned term in the first place.

Duo was nonplussed. "Clark has the cat," he said with a wave to the house neighboring his own.

"We weren't caterwauling," Relena interjected. "We were having a literary debate."

"Yeah, and if you don't take your little book circle somewhere else, I'm gonna Van Helsing the whole lot of you," Duo said. He had been looking at the girl as he spoke, but then his eyes glanced over the four males before landing on Heero. For his part, Heero matched his stare evenly; he'd eagerly offer up himself to the braided man but would wait for the sign to do so.

Relena, looking between them, frowned. "You don't have enough faith to be Van Helsing," she said.

Dorothy was smiling. "Maybe he thinks because he can quote Scripture, he gets to be the good guy," she sneered. "Did you get to learn that in the church before you set it ablaze?"

Any one of the males could have stopped him, especially Heero considering he was the closest. Instead, as they processed the girl's words, they watched Duo's punch level her to the floor. Relena's yell spurred Heero into action and he grabbed Duo's arm before he could strike Dorothy again, pulling the braided man back. Duo stilled in his arms, breathing heavier than before, eyes on the girl clutching her face with a whimper.

"Do you know what it sounds like when people are burned alive, Catalonia?" Duo asked quietly. "It's the worst sound in the world. There comes a point when you think you should kill them yourself just so they _stop screaming_."

From the look in Duo's eyes, Heero wasn't sure he ever stopped hearing the screams.

* * *

 **A/N** : (๑꒪▿꒪)

Sorry, but pretty much all the chapters are short in this story. (Aesthetics? I wonder... ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ) This was never meant to be a long fic. Final chapter will be the longest, though!

Thank you for reading and reviewing! :)


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